Community Brag Posts

I really enjoy making this bench. I build them out of cedar and vary from 4’-6’. My customers love them. Simple prep work consisting of planing all boards to same dimensions can save a lot of time in sanding. Building 3 more this week. 

I really appreciated your garage/mudroom project guidance. I stumbled on it as I was trying to figure out how to design my project. I basically copied yours!! 😁

You also turned me on to pocket hole joinery. Previously I have used a biscuit joiner and find it very challenging. Thank you, I am a convert!

I used the Farmhouse Table plans and just extended the measurements to build an extra-long outdoor table that seats 12.

Living on a small city plot, this vertical ladder planter was just what I was looking for to grow my herbs and flowers. I am not an experienced builder but the plans were easy to follow. It didn't take me much time at all to complete this project. Now I am looking forward to fresh herbs and flowers all summer.

This was my first woodworking project ever - and am thrilled!! Thank you Ana-White.com!! I needed a beautiful china cabinet for a fraction of the retail cost. Once I found plans on this website, I bought some power tools and got started! I only worked a couple of hours each weekend so it took a while to finish.

I modified the Shanty sideboard and Shanty hutch plans in a few ways: Shorter overall width to more comfortably fit my dining room, shorter height (which I now regret), fewer shelves in the hutch, different method to attach shelves, and added glass doors to the hutch. My shelves were not perfectly flush with the cabinet walls (oops) so I couldn't use pocket holes to attach them. Because I detest traditional shelving hardware, I just secured 1/2-in quarter round to the walls and rested the shelves on that.

For the glass hutch doors, I built frames similar to the sideboard doors' frames -- two frames for each door, for a total of 8 frames. On 4 frames, I used a rabbit router bit to create an inset for the glass I bought and had cut at Lowe's. I secured the glass with glazier's points and silicon caulk, then attached an un-routered frame to the back of each door with screws. I chose to keep the screws on the back visible and accessible so that I could easily replace the glass if needed without destroying the door.

I had a big empty wall in my den/man cave, so I decided to build a dartboard cabinet instead of just hanging a dartboard on the wall. No plans for this, I just made it up as I went. Measured twice, sketched it out and cut as I went.

I use pine 1x4's for the frame and back. 1x3's for the accessory box, 1x2's for the door frame, and poplar strips for the doors and door braces. The darts are held by 6" long 2x2's with holes drilled.

Wood screws, finish nails, and small brads were used to hold everything together.

The chalkboards are simple MDF's cut and sprayed with chalkboard paint. Overlay hinges are used for the doors, and the dartbord is held on with screws from the back so it can be replaced when needed.

The Alabama A is hand-painted.

My Dad made a few cutting boards for christmas.  I've added a few additional photos and tips on my blog -  http://www.woodworkingfourdummies.com/blog/more-cutting-boards.

thanks for looking.

Ian

I always wanted a cabin-type cat tree where my cats could crawl in and feel safe, but still have a great view of the birds out of a window. I tried to draw my vision on paper, but that had a hideous result. Learning Google SketchUp (at least the basics) was an absolute necessity. I could never have built this without drawing it in 3D first, and seeing how the boards would connect, etc.

For the scratch pad, I built a frame out of 2x4s on top of plywood, covered it with carpet, and dropped the standard size scratch pad in place. This is the cat's favorite feature. I put barn doors on the window with tiny hinges so that I can close for added privacy. The tree sits against a window so that the back side is totally open. I made cozy zippered cushions for the platforms (that can be taken off and washed). I covered the carpeted areas with spare carpeting.

I was inspired to build this table after taking Ana's Adirondack Chair Class at Home Depot. Living in Fairbanks, AK means that the pickings are slim and pricy for quality furniture.

I shortened the table length to 5' to fit my space and made the benches 4' long and lined the legs up so they would fit comfortably under the table. I also made the chairs based on Ana's Parsons chair pattern.

I built this book rack using scrap wood and modified plans from the Full Length Plate Rack. It was a really straightforward build, and functions very well as vertical storage that takes up little space. I predrilled, screwed and glued all of the joints, vs. stapling.

My son needed more room in his bedroom...and to be rid of the very girly furniture he inherited when he moved into his "big boy-ish" bedroom. At 10 yrs old, it was high time he got a bed that wasn't pink-tinged, white washed pine with 4 posters and enough curlicues to choke a forest. He also needed a desk which I couldn't really fit in his room with the armoire and chest of drawers that came with the Queen sized bed.

So off to Ikea we went and I saw a black loft bed for $300, but it was really, really high which meant I would have to cut it down and it was not sturdy at all. I looked at PB and saw the $1800 bed. Um, no - that wasn't happening. So, off to Ana-White I went and I'm so happy I did!

I built the full sized version of these plans and, to keep costs down, used wood I had on hand. This meant I had to work a bit at the cuts, but it all worked out.

Mods:
1) I modified the railings to have the ladder at the end of the bed to keep away from the ceiling fan.

2) Because I put the ladder at the end of the bed, I got very nervous about having a soon-to-be teen climbing on to a ladder secured to a 1x10 that was only connected to the side railings with glue and screws. So I sandwiched extra 1x3s over the bottom rails and attached them to the top railing.

3) I was very nervous about making sure that the bed was adequately supported so I put a 2x4 down the center instead of the 1x2.

4) I went a wee-bit overboard screwing things together to the point where it's a bit embarrassing and now I have to paint over the screw heads.

5) I made the ladder treads with 2x4's, modifying the inside spacer board cut lengths.

Because I had quite a bit of lumber on hand, the bed only ended up costing me about $90.

For the bookcase, I did end up buying the 1x12s and the adjustable shelf railings. I made the book shelf the entire width of of the bed and split the two sections based on width of the 1x24 board I bought for the desk. I only put the backer board up half way so that the daylight could get underneath the bed and make it not so cave-like.

The book case cost me about $70.

The desk was the easiest...but most costly item. A 1x6x24, 4 table legs and the table leg mounts ran me about $80. The plexiglass top that I had cut for the top cost me about $80.

Time wise, this would have taken me a lot less time than the 4 months it took - but I worked on it as I could and when I could, by myself. I got some friends to help me bring it upstairs and put it back together, but it was mostly done when I could fit in some time.

My son LOVES this and it really does give him so much room!!! Thanks Ana - I really appreciate it!

Made the swing then just kinda came up with my own frame.

This took me and my father a few weekends to complete simply because that is all the time I had to work on it (was the weekends). We put a lot of effort into it and made sure everything was neat and safe. We modified the original plan a bit to give some more boy feel to this bed, and we added window bars to keep my children from climbing out of them. You know boys! We also added a window on the far side of the top bunk. We should have added one to the bottom too since it is so dark, but he likes it anyway! If you want to see some step by step photos, you can go to http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151477424866465.1073741825.5…

P.S. The estimated cost was for the bed only, not the mattresses or stain